Patrick Howley

A heavily armed man opened fire at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Thursday morning before apparently taking his own life, according to breaking news reports — and some media commentators are already linking the incident to the upcoming National Rifle Association leadership conference.

The man reportedly fired two shots with an AR-15 rifle in the air at the airport’s security checkpoint area, then shot himself with a pistol. An air marshal fired at the shooter at some point during the incident, but missed, according to reports.

A source at the airport told The Daily Caller that Terminal B, where the shooting took place, has been closed by police. The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a full ground stop at Bush International Airport.

“When I came off the airplane, the line to get people to check into TSA was exceptionally long,” Don Irvine, who is in Houston for the NRA’s annual meeting, told TheDC. “They only had one agent, one person checking ID, which was jamming things up in A.”

“I don’t think anybody really knows what happened,” Irvine added.

The NRA annual meeting begins Friday with a leadership conference, followed by a members’ meeting and “Stand & Fight Rally” Saturday. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck are expected to attend.

Mainstream media commentators have suggested a relationship between the shooting and the NRA convention, in the absence of any reported facts connecting the two events.

Talking Points Memo national affairs reporter Hunter Walker tweeted, “America’s latest crazy public shooting was in Houston, the city where the NRA started its annual meeting today.”

“On eve of #NRA meet man shoots himself at Houston International Airport. Flights grounded but convention goes on of course,” tweeted The Independent’s U.S. editor, David Usborne.